Prologue: The Responsibility of a Wish

-GIVE ME BACK MY MARRIAGE!!!

Upon hearing that voice, all I could do was clutch my throat, bleeding after the woman in front of me shot me.

-IT'S NOT MY FAULT, IT'S YOU WHO'S ENTIRELY TO BLAME, GIVE ME BACK MY HUSBAND!!

-"I think I know what's happening. She's getting a divorce and blames me because her husband ignores all her attempts to get close, despite him being unfaithful. It's plausible if I think about it; less than a month ago, a man came in for individual counseling, wanting to give his wife a second chance. He was deeply hurt, but after the sessions, he found a solution: 'If it happens again, you won't hear from me.' But that's just a hypothesis."

-*Bang* IF YOU DIE, EVERYTHING WILL GO BACK TO HOW IT WAS. HE'LL LOVE ME BECAUSE I JUST WANTED IT ONE MORE TIME.

The pain wasn't just coming from my throat; it started pulsating in my chest as I fell to my knees. Everything seemed to slow down as I noticed the floor getting closer to my body, and a sensation of warmth engulfed me.

-"At this point, I've been through the same routine for so long."

-*Bang* DIE, DIE!!

[After the gunshot, the man lost his balance, causing his body to hit the wall as he clutched his neck in a desperate attempt.]

-"Today, I woke up to take a shower, put on my formal coat, drove to the office, and when I arrived, my secretary handed me a coffee with cream, just the way I like it."

-THAT'S YOU...

[An electrical sound rang out, freezing the woman with the gun in place. Another woman with brown hair appeared, pointing a taser at the aggressor's back.]

-DOCTOR WILKERS!

[As the aggressor fell, the brown-haired woman approached the man, who was against the wall, holding his neck and chest.]

-It's going to be alright. I'll call an ambulance, and you'll get better.

[The brown-haired woman began to shed tears, her disheveled bangs while she searched for her phone in her pocket.]

-"How ironic this has been. Once, a woman hurt me so badly that I never became the same internally. Now, another woman has hurt me, but physically, I don't think I'll be able to speak the same way as before. Just as I haven't been the same for a long time, these kinds of women bring a change in me."

[The brown-haired woman was on the phone while the man lying on the floor stained his shirt red.]

-"I always overthink everything; it scares me. I can never act as I should in these situations, but I think I know what to say now."

[Raising his other hand, the man touched the brown-haired woman's cheek with the tips of his fingers, attempting to speak.]

-...Th...a...n...k...y...o...

-Don't speak; you just need to stay conscious.

-"You're right; I can't articulate the words properly."

[Closing his eyes, the man just held the brown-haired woman's face, even though this is normal, my dear doctor. You will have what you wanted.]

-"Yes, I think I'm overthinking it too much. I've been hearing a female voice since I was shot. I definitely need to visit other colleagues after this."

[You know it; people aren't rational, but you always try to find logic in everything, Doctor. But that's not a bad thing; it's why you became so well-known in your field.]

-"You're right, but I didn't want to be famous for understanding people's pain, let alone have this much money."

[You dream of having a family; that's been your wish since you were married. But maybe I'm wrong.]

-"That thought began in the orphanage after the third family almost adopted me but left me with only $1,500 when they decided not to."

[True, but I didn't pay much attention to your story from there. But don't worry, from now on, I want to see how you suffer, how you desire, and, above all, how your mentality changes.]

-"Well, today I wanted to break the routine. Once I'm out of the hospital, I need to apologize to Miss Woo and schedule another appointment."

[That sounds perfect. Then, please open your eyes, Doctor.]

When I woke up, circular lamps adorned an unfamiliar gray ceiling.

-Uh...?

-"I can't even speak."

-"Or rather, my tongue and jaw don't move well."

-"What's happening?"

-"Did they remove my vocal cords because of the accident?"

[It's in your hands now, D.O.C.T.O.R. You'll find the answer soon; I believe in you.]

-"Wait..."

At that moment, an older woman dressed as a nurse came from somewhere and looked at me.

-Calm down, young man; you have a lot of energy.

-Uh...

-Yes, come here.

The woman lifted me effortlessly to the height of her chest... but it felt too big.

-Look who's watching you there; those are your parents.

When I turned in the opposite direction of the older woman, I could see a massive glass pane, behind which were many couples of different ages and appearances, all catching my attention. They all seemed happy.

-Mmm?

The woman approached the glass, allowing me to see the reflection of the older nurse clearly.

-"She's a nurse, but who is that baby?"

-"Is that me?"